Rotary seal



April 1942-- A. M. JACKSON 2,279,167

' ROTARY SEAL Filed Sept. 30, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. He THUR M. ziAcksa/v BY 4-w- A TTORNE).

m 1942- A. mgJAcKsofi 7 ROTARY SEAL Filed Sept. 50, 1940 3 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR. Herr/we M (THC/ (SON BY w A TTOR NE-Y' April 7, 1942. A. M. JACKSON r 7' I INVENTORJ v H THU/8 M t Ac'Kso/v I AframveY- Patented Apr. 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE' ROTARY SEAL Arthur M. Jackson, Los Angeles, Calif. Application September 30, 1940, Serial No. 359,046

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a new, improved and complete propeller shaft assembly and the like for power driven ships, or any kind of device wherein a very compact self-adjusting rotary liquid seal for shafts is desired. It is, by this invention, permissible to place the seal on the outer end of the propeller shaft housing close to the propeller hub of the ship. By sealing the rear end of the shaft housing outside of the bearings, it makes possible the use of anti-friction roller or ball bearings designed for axial thrust and radial load. An important characteristic of this invention is the design of the housing, shaft, bearings and seal to transmit the entire thrust of the propeller to the housing. This invention makes it possible to use flexible couplings in the shaft between power plant and the propeller shaft, thus taking care of any misalinement of the shaft.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a shaft sealer to separate two fluids, the sealer being constructed so that it can readily be assembled and disassembled.

Another object is to present a simply constructed sealer for power shafts which is capable of preventing liquid entering an air chamber.

A further object is to provide a sealing unit and propeller shaft for ships which is capable of long service and efficient operation, and which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

Other objects, advantages and features of my invention will appear from the accompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed description, the preamble of these specifications and the appended claims.

Applicant is about to illustrate and describe one of the forms of his invention in order to teach one how to make, use and vend the same, but it is to be understood that the drawings and description thereof are not to limit the invention in any sense whatsoever, except as limited by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the invention in longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a portion of the invention, parts being broken away to show inner parts.

Fig. 3 is a broken portion of the invention, partly in elevation and partly in section, taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional part taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view taken substantially along the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the invention.

The reference character I indicates the stern post of a ship which is adequately braced with respect to the hull of the ship to withstand all stresses due to the operation of the propeller shaft 2. The post has a circular opening 3 with a plurality of threaded bores 4 about its margin to accommodate and give support tothe two housing shells 5 and 6. The housing shells have abutting circular flanges I and 8 which are held securelytogether and to the stern post I by a plurality of bolts 9, the bolts 9 being threadably engaged in'the bores 4. Suitable gaskets may be employed between the abutting surfaces of the post and flanges to make a hermetically sealed fit. I

The shaft 2 has the tapered portion I0, and threaded end I I for receiving lock nuts and wash-' ers. The other end is shown as broken off, but leads to a flexible couple, not shown, where connection is made with the power shaft from the engine room of the ship.

Two main roller bearings support the propeller shaft, an aft bearing l3 and a forward bearing I2, Each bearing has pyramidal surfaced journal the two raceways I6 and IT for accommodating in the usual manner the plurality of conically shaped rollers I8, as shown. The aft bearing assembly snugly fits the bore of the housing shell 5 and is provided with grease ducts I9, andthe forward bearing assembly snugly fits the bore of the housing shell 6 which isalso provided with a grease duct as indicated by 20..

The shell 5 has a cross partition 2| with a central bore slightly spaced from the shaft, the end having an annular groove toaccommodate a felt sealing ring 22 to prevent lubricant escapingfrom the housing shell along the shaft. This and of the shell 5 has an annular embossed portion 23 with a plurality of threaded bores 24. The top of the shell 5 has the oil duct 25, and the bottom of the shell has the drain duct 26 to enable pressure oil to be fed through a chamber not yet described. The bearing I4 is held in place by the bearing ring 21 which threadedly engages the bore of shell '5 at 28. Felt rings 29 and 30 prevent escape of lubricant along the shaft 2.

The housing shell 6 has across portion, indicated at 3|, and which has a central bore spaced from the shaft and providedwith a felt ring ,32. The forward end of the shell 6 has a bearing ring 33 and felt rings 34 and 35 which are the same as elements 27, 29 and 30; the ring 33 is also threadedly connected with the shell bore as indicated at 36. i

A sleeve 3'! maintains spaced relation between the aft bearing I3 and the'hub 40 of the propeller; another sleeve 38 maintains spaced relation between aft bearing and forward bearing I2; and another spacer sleeve 39 is provided between 42 has an annular side wall '44 and an integral,

cross wall 45, the cross wall having a central opening to accommodate the shaft 2 and sleeve 31. The aft end of cup wall 44 has upper and lower three or' four holes 46 which snugly receive metal pegs 41 which are shrunk into alinedbores 48 as shown. The purpose of these pins is to cause the cup to rotate with the propeller of the ship.

, On the inner surface of the wall 44 is a liner ring 49 of bronze'which has liquid sealed contact with annular and angular resilient elements 50 and 5| which may be rubber or leather. 'The wider flange of these elements abut and are held in abutment with each other andthe inner surface of the hub 40 by the annular band 52 which is forced against of'bolts 53.

On the forward face of the cross wall45 of the cup is an annular groove 54 into which is shrunk an annular metallic sealing ring 55. A similar annular ring 56 is shrunk into an annular roove 51 in one face of the ring 43 and in the other face of the ring 43 is an annular groove 58 into which has been shrunk the annular ring 59. v

Adjacent the aft side of wall 2i, but spaced slightly therefrom, *is' an annular partition Bil having a central opening to accommodate the shaft2 and sleeve 31. Along theouter margin of this partition is the annulargroove 6| having shrunk therein the annular metallic ring 52,

the face of which is carefully machined to make a perfect liquid sealing fitwith the machined face of its adjacentring 59, Likewise, theadjacent faces of the rings 55 and 56 are carefully machined and make liquid sealing 1 abutment. Although any satisfactory'harde'ned steel may be usedasthe material for the rings 55,56, 59 and 62 so as'to give long efficient service, it is preferred to provide the "frictional faces of these rings with a coating "of -Stellite which is 'an exceedingly hard metal and when carefully applied and machined, it will give very long eflicient service. Such amaterial, or equivalent, is indicated at 63.

i'rhe partition on is supported by a plurality of studs 64'which havethreads on'both ends, one end of whicharescrewed in their respective the hub by a plurality threaded bores 65 in the wall 45 of the cup. .The

other ends of the studs'each carry a lock nut 66 whichhave spacedapart holes 61 ontheir outer Within each housing 69, surrounding the stud- 64, is a movable Washer, 10 which'is urged toward. the end'wallfl'iljof the housing by a coiled spring 12. Between th e Washer, and [end wall is sealing material 13' to prevent passage of liquid along "the-stud -64; The central op'eningof the partitionis sealed from the chamber '4! by an annular resilient element 14 which has one surface in contact withtthe' sleeve :31 and another surface in abutment with :a side" surface of the partition 50. Annular {band 15 and bolts "16 hold the element 14 in place as shown. By this construction, the cup 42 and partition 60, along with their associated parts, rotate with the shaft 2 and propeller hub 40 and make sliding contact with the balance of the device through the extremely hard surfaces 63. on the rings 55-56 and 59-62.

'It can readily be seen that the water pressure upon the exposed surfaces of the sealers 5| is substantially the same as upon the exposed side surfaces of thexmetal sealing rings 55 and 56, thus avoiding unbalanced water pressures upon the cup which would tighten or loosen the frictional contact between the rings 55 and 56. If this balance were not maintained, the adjustment on the compression springs 12 would have little effect. The nuts 66 must be adjusted along the studs 64 until there is suflicient surface pressure between the rings to assure a continued liquid seal. This construction forms a floating sealer with a minimum of friction.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a liquid seal for the propeller end of a shaft, 'ashaft, a fixed main housing enveloping a portion of the shaft, an annular flange depending from the housing toward the shaft and having opposite facing sides, an annular groove in each of said sides, a stationary sealing 'ring in each of the grooveshaving faces protruding in opposite'directions from the flange,'a connecting cup having a perforated base receiving the shaft and having its open portion facing the near end of the shaft,a plurality of connecting studs along the rim of the cup extending toward the shaft and adapted to engage aportion of a propeller, a disc spaced from the base'of the cup and having a perfcration receiving the shaft. resilient means connectingthe disc with the cup and which urges the disc toward the cup, an annular groove in said disc and said cup base,a rotary sealing ring in each groove, all of the said sealing rings having equal radii with respect to the shaft so that the faces of the rotary rings slide along the faces of the stationary rings,

2. The liquid seal recited in claim 1 wherein the-resilient means connecting the disc with the cup includes 'aplurality of circular spaced apart housings fixed to the disc and a plurality of spaced apart studs fixed to thecup base and extending into the circular housings, a cap at theend of eachcircular housing and fixed to one end of its respective stud, and a coil spring intermediate each cap and bottom of itsrespective housing for the purposes described.

3. In a liquid sealing unit for propeller shafts, a housing and a shaft, a cup having an annular peripheral flange with a perforated base tov receive the shaft,istud means extending into the cup adapted to engage a portion of the propeller, a disc spaced from the base of the cup having a perforation :to receive the shaft, resilient means between the cup base and disc for drawing them toward each other, an annular flange fixed to the housing and extending toward the shaft, said ring having two'faces, one facing the disc and the other the cup, a bearing ring extending from each face of the flange, and a bearing ring extending from the: cupbase and disc and engaging the rings of the flange for the purposes described. i ARTHUR M. JACKSON, 

